Sure you can (I assume) coup de grace an unconcious one.
Sure an opponent can risk death by taking strenuous action after severe lethal damage.
Sure minions die.

But how do you put down an non-minion opponent who is disabled and refuses to take a strenuous action when all you have is a lethal attack???

I've had some folks send me the 2nd edition rules for this, but was there ever a 1st edition answer?

<enter rant mose>
I've sent this question to GR multiple times, but gotten no reply!
I've search for an errata that answers it, but can't find one!
I've search these forums and not found one!

Rather annoying that they don't have this posted somewhere obvious.
Do they expect us to buy 2nd ed. because our 1st ed, copies are "defective"???

I'd be more inclined to get the 2nd ed. if GR would actually answer questions!
But they've given me little reason to believe the any flaws in the product will being addressed except for what may be burried deep in these forums. ;(
<end rant mode>

Ophidian, you might be able to get help with your question here but you need to be aware that Green Ronin is a small company with only 6 full-time staff members to handle everything from bookkeeping, mail orders, and maintaining our 3 company/game support websites and forums to developing our D20, OGL, True20, and M&M lines, not to mention the game design and development we do for Black Industries (the Warhammer Roleplay line and the creation of the Warhammer 40,000 Roleplaying Game, currently).

That means, first and foremost, that we're not able to provide detailed support for an edition of our game that is no longer current or in print. It means that we do not have 24-hour customer service support, a staff of flunkies handling rules questions, or a big office with a mail room and an HR department. It also means that you may need to be patient about getting "official" answers to your questions. For example, this week four of our staff members will be at the Origins convention that is happening in Columbus, Ohio. If you get an "official" answer to your questions, it's because the designer and line developer himself took time out of his work day to address your issue.

We don't expect anyone to upgrade to M&M 2nd Edition against their will, and we don't think the first edition was "broken". We do feel the second edition is improved, however, and as it is the only edition currently in print, it is also the only edition we're devoting our limited resources to actively supporting.

Since M&M does a commendable job of encapsulating the comic book genre, one reason that you may not have found the answer to your question is because it's assumed that you are playing a person with at least an average moral compass.

Someone who has a respect for all life, little if any cruelty, and a who has and who tried to help and protect instead of killing (a shoplifter, bank robber, or etc.).

Most new players to the game need to be reminded of that especially if there are (technically) no alignments or codes to follow.

MindMelterDeluxe wrote:Since M&M does a commendable job of encapsulating the comic book genre, one reason that you may not have found the answer to your question is because it's assumed that you are playing a person with at least an average moral compass.

That's a valid assumption for PC's, but for villians?

I'd cite Marvel SAGA as doing a good job of displaying the take you suggest.

It explicitly mentions that there is no mechanic for killing in its rules for the very reasons you cite.

Yet they include a statement that despite that deaths, ARE a part of comics stories.
And that they should be handled in game as rare but possible.
They should occur when "dramatically appropriate"; GM's call with players' opinions accounted for.

Such a disclaimer in M&M would make the lack of a rule look intentional rather than look like an accidental omission.